Driver plows into home, flees

Wednesday

May 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 28, 2008 at 9:55 PM

Homeowners awaken to damaged property.

Melissa Steele

Driving to an appointment Thursday morning, Jim Kimbleton glanced over at the front of his Park Drive home and saw it wasn’t the same manicured lawn with striking brick hardscaping that it was the day before.

Overnight, someone had plowed into his brick walkway and steps, spraying the lawn with chunks of bricks — one weighing nearly 80 pounds that flew 40 feet.

“It’s amazing, I didn’t hear a thing,” said Kimbleton who owns the house with his wife Karen. “My bedroom is right here at the front of the house.”

One of his dogs briefly woke him up at 2 a.m. but that wasn’t enough for him to witness the dark green vehicle that came to rest along his embankment and was eventually towed away. The chunks of dark green autobody fiberglass left on his front lawn tipped him off to its color.

No one from the police department contacted them, the Kimbletons said, leaving them to piece together the night’s events on their own.
“The police didn’t let us know what happened until I went in and filed a report,” Karen said.

At that time, she said, police told her someone crashed into her lawn and then fled on foot.

Lt. James Hosfelt, spokesman for the Dover Police Department, said officers tried to call the Kimbletons and when they were unsuccessful, made a note to provide them with further information.

“An officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation and instead of stopping like most people would, the driver decided to drive off,” he said.

After crashing into the Kimbletons’ yard, Hosfelt said the man fled on foot and police are continuing to search for him.

He said he believes the vehicle was a pick-up truck, which with its weight and movement could explain how heavy bricks were projected across the lawn.

“Speeds weren’t determined to be a factor,” he said, adding he was unsure whether the car was insured or who owned it.

The Kimbletons contacted their insurance adjuster but with it being a holiday weekend they weren’t sure one would show.

“In the meantime, my lawn is a mess,” Karen said.

Dover Post

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